Ice Palace
by lilnitenurse
Summary: Ed and Al are sent on a mission to the far north to investigate some chimerical activity, not to mention some animated suits of armor. And I don't mean Al!


Don't own FMA, just my Ed, Al, and Roy plushies

Ice Palace

"You're probably wondering why it's so cold out, in spite of the fact that it's the middle of June. Well, so are we all, Fullmetal, but that's not what this mission is about," Roy explained to Ed. They were both sitting in Roy's office sipping hot chocolate at a time of year that they should be drinking iced tea. "There's some strange activity going on in Pragda, and we think chimeras are involved."

"What-da?" asked Ed, puzzled.

"Pragda. It's a town about 200 miles north of here. Better pack some warm woolies, Fullmetal. And as much as you love him, I wouldn't kiss your brother while you're up there. Might get embarassing," said Roy with a smirk, "Oh quit scowling, it was a joke!"

"Not funny." Ed grumbled.

"One more thing. Armstrong said to tell you to look up a cousin of his up there. His name is Piotor Valgrad. You might get some helpful info from him."

"Thanks, Colonel, I will," Ed replied. He got up and left the office._Stupid Colonel and his stupid remarks! One of these days..._

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"Last stop! Last stop! Minsk!" called the train conductor.

"Wait a minute! I thought this train went to Pragda!" protested Ed to the conductor.

"Sorry, sir, but the snow's so bad it's blocked up the tracks," replied the conductor, "This is as far as we can go 'til it's cleared up."

"So how far is it to Pragda?" asked Ed.

"About a 5 mile walk, sir."

"C'mon, Al, we got a long walk ahead of us," Ed said wearily. They got off the snowbound train and left for Pragda on foot.

"Brother? Why didn't you just use alchemy to melt the snow around the tracks?" Al asked as they trudged through the snow toward Pragda.

" Because, Al, I'm the fullmetal alchemist, not the flame alchemist! Speaking of that dumb colonel, HE should be-" Ed stopped, looking around carefully.

"Brother, what-?"

"Quiet! I thought I heard something!" replied Ed in a low voice. Suddenly, a bear/ timberwolf chimera leaped out of a snowdrift and landed on Ed, knocking him on his back, pinning him down with its weight. Its massive claws held onto his shoulders, and with a hungry snarl it tried to bite into his neck, but his hopes for a small snack were dashed when a pair of steel arms pulled it off of his intended meal. The chimera was lifted high into the air and brought swiftly down onto a steel thigh, resulting in its swift death from a broken spine.

Al threw the body aside and ran to Ed's side. "Are you all right, Brother?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I'd have gotten that thing if it hadn't knocked the wind out of me," Ed replied, getting up, "Thanks, Al."

"It's nothing. After all, what are little brothers for?" asked Al.

"Protecting their big brothers from savage chimeras?" Ed replied with a smile.

"We'd better be more careful, Brother. There might be more of them."

"My thoughts exactly." replied Ed.

They walked on until they could faintly see the rooftops of a town. " Look, Brother! That must be Pragda!" cried Al.

"You're right, it must be," Ed replied, " Al, why don't you scout ahead a little while I go into those woods for a minute?"

"But why do you...oh, I get it," said Al sheepishly, " Okay, Brother, I'll scout ahead. But be careful. There might be more chimeras in there."

"For their sakes, there better not be," Ed replied with an evil grin. He turned and walked into the woods while Al walked ahead.

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Ed walked back out towards the suit of armor. "Okay, Al, let's go. Did you find any-" He was cut off by a sudden punch in the stomach. He fell to his knees, doubled over in pain. "Al! What are you doing?" he asked through clenched teeth. He was answered by a kick in the chest that sent him on his back. A steel gauntleted hand grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. Ed tried to free himself, but the grip was cutting off his air, making him lightheaded.

"Y-you're.. not ..my..brother.." he gasped, his world going gray.

"But **_I_** am!" yelled a familiar voice. Ed felt the hand release him, dropping him to the ground. He laid there gasping for untold minutes, then he felt himself being held gently by a pair of steel arms.

"Are you all right, Brother?" Al looked over the bruises on Ed's neck, " I saw that thing kick you, and I ran as fast as I could."

"I am now," Ed replied, smiling, " Thanks again.What was that thing, anyway? And what happened to it?" he asked, getting up slowly.

"Well, at first I thought it was an armored soldier. But when I punched it, this came off its chest, and the armor fell apart like a broken doll," Al showed him a small white crystal.

"Let me see that," Ed took the crystal and examined it. A tiny transmutation circle was scratched into it that looked very familiar to him. "Al, take off your helmet."

Al took his helmet off, then Ed looked at the blood seal, comparing it to the etching on the crystal. "My gosh, this is awful! Al, do you know what this is?"

"Umm, a transmutation crystal?" Al guessed as he replaced his helmet.

"It's more than that, Al. This is a soul-anchoring seal, like the one in your armor! Except the soul is in this crystal, and it's being used to animate the armor!"

"You mean, like me?" Al asked.

"No, Al, not a bit!" Ed put a hand on Al's shoulder, " Al, your soul is anchored to that armor, but you also have free will. You have the choice to love me, hate me, save my life or watch me die."

"Brother, don't talk like that! I can _never _hate you, or let you die!" exclaimed Al, hugging Ed tightly.

" Sorry, Al, I didn't mean to scare you," Ed replied, hugging him back. " My point is, that you can make these choices. This soul, however, cannot," He showed Al the crystal, " This soul is nothing more than someone's slave. The best I can do for it is set it free." He put the crystal in his automail hand and crushed it. He could feel a soft breeze touch his cheek just then, and a barely audible voice whispered "thank you" in his ear.

"Brother, we really stumbled into something, didn't we?" asked Al.

"Big time," replied Ed, " Well, did you find anything when you scouted ahead?"

"Yeah. I saw this big ice palace, and some suits of armor going in and out of it. I didn't get a good look at the town, though."

"How close is this palace?"

"Closer than the town is."

"Then let's get a closer look at the palace." Ed decided. They walked up to a small ridge overlooking the palace and laid low, watching the animated suits of armor walk in and out of the palace.

"Brother, I have an idea. Let me sneak in and pose as one of those suits," Al suggested. Ed glared at him, ready to negate the idea. "Now, hear me out before you say no, Brother! You are a genius, yet you couldn't tell the difference between me and that armor that attacked you. So, whoever's in there shouldn't be able to tell the difference, either."

Ed thought this over. " You're right, Al. You can get closer on the inside scoop of things. Okay, let's do this!" Taking a piece of an icicle, he transmuted it into a small, hard crystal like the one he broke and put it on Al's chest, where Al said he saw the other crystal. "Be careful in there, and contact me as soon as you're able. And Al," he hugged Al tightly, wanting to kiss him but knowing he can't because of the cold, " I love you. Never forget that."

Al returned the hug. "And I love you, Brother. Never forget _that_." He got up and walked down the ridge. Ed watched him to make sure he was blended in with the others, then he went into the town.

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The sun was setting when Ed arrived in Pragda, and his stomach reminded him that he hasn't eaten since he and Al left Minsk. Spotting a nearby inn, he went inside, hoping to not be kicked out in the cold if they should find out about his being a State Alchemist.

"Come, boy, and share my table!" yelled a Conan-sized,red-haired man with a long curly beard. He was seated at a nearby booth. Ed went over to the man and sat down opposite of him.

"Thank you, sir," Ed said with a grin.

"Not at all, boy! You looked half froze coming in here! Wench! Get this boy a mug of mead and enough meat for both of us!" he called out.

"I would, Olaf, but then I would have to bring a whole bull!" replied the serving wench. She placed a mug in front of Ed and went to get the food.

"Sir, I'm new here. What is mead?" asked Ed, who felt a little intimidated by Olaf's size.

"What? Never had mead? You ARE new here, boy! Mead is a drink made with honey, spices, yeast and fruit! Now, boy, what is your name? You've already heard mine." Olaf said with a smile.

Ed thought for a moment about the mead's ingredients. "I'm Edward Elric, and I'm not sure I should be drinking this at my age."

"And just how many winters have you seen, young Edward?" asked Olaf, studying him carefully.

"Sixteen."

"SIXTEEN!" Olaf guffawed," You're not a boy, you're a man! By my sixteenth winter, I've sat at counsel, seen 20 raids, and my wife's belly was laden with our third child! Drink your mead, young Edward! Drink it in good health!"

Ed sipped the mead, and found it to be pretty good. He told Olaf so as he drank more of it and started eating the freshly cooked meat placed before him. "Of course it's good, Edward! It's the best in all the north country!" Olaf replied.

"Edward? Edward Elric?" asked a hulking blonde man with a long mustache that reminded Ed of Armstrong.

"The same, Piotor!" replied Olaf," Come! Sit with us and share our food and drink!"

Piotor sat beside Ed and ordered a mug of mead. "My cousin, Alex Louis Armstrong, said to look for you, Edward. I would love for you to stay at my house during your visit here." he offered.

"Thanks, Piotor, I'd like that," replied Ed. He took another sip from his mug, which to his surprise never seemed to empty.

"So, Edward, how is it you came to know this oaf here?" asked Piotor.

"Young Edward came in from the cold, and I asked him to sup with me!" replied Olaf, " I am in the mood to celebrate this day, for someone has found the chimera that was scaring away our game. Its back, they say, was broken in half!"

"Know you of this, Edward?" asked Piotor, who saw Ed's surprised expression.

"Of COURSE he knows, fool!" Olaf answered before Ed could," By his bruised neck and torn cloak, I'd say HE was the one who destroyed the chimera!"

Ed tried to answer, but Piotor cut in,"But of course! I see it now! It seems our Edward is like the mighty white pine tree. Slow to grow, but once full grown, is mighty and unconquerable!"

Ed smiled warmly at this. For once, he wasn't being called short! _I like this place! Warm mead, great food, friendly people. When I get Al back to normal, we're moving here, _he thought to himself. He started to feel warm and sleepy. The two mountain-sized men continued talking and joking with each other while he tried to figure out why his cup never emptied. _Some wierd alchemy, maybe? _he asked himself. His head felt foggy, and the mens' voices seemed garbled. He decided to lay his head on the table and close his eyes for a minute. _I'm sure they won't mind. They're so nice and friendly.Yeah Al, we're staying here once we're whole again. _

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Ed woke up and found himself lying in bed in a small room. _Where am I? Oh, yeah,Piotor must've brought me home. _Finding his clothes on a nearby chair, he got dressed and left the room. He followed the smell of cooking and found himself in the kitchen, where Piotor was sitting at the table. He looked Up from his breakfast and smiled at Ed. "Good morning, Edward! Come, sit down and share my breakfast! " he said cheerfully.

" 'Morning, Piotor. How did I wind up here?" Ed asked, curious.

"You fell asleep at the inn, my friend, so I brought you home! Olaf was quite impressed with you," he replied.

"Me? Why? Did I snore that loud?" asked Ed with a smirk.

"No, Edward!" laughed Piotor, " He was impressed that you drank five mugs of mead before you fell asleep! Five! He has offered a challenge to you to see who can drink the most mead at one sitting. Aye, and three other men have offered that challenge!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Ed said with a smile. _How in the name of alchemy did I drink FIVE mugs? _"Meanwhile, I'd like to ask the people here about the strange things going on here. Armstrong might have told you about why I'm here."

"Alex did say you were here on a mission from the one he calls 'the puny colonel', " he replied. Ed stifled a giggle at the nickname. Piotor continued, " By all means, talk to whoever you wish. You shall find nothing but friendliness and hospitality here, as we seldom have visitors. And besides, you have already made a great impression at the inn."

"That's very encouraging,thanks!" Ed replied with a smile. He finished his breakfast, then went out the door.

Over the next four days, Ed asked around for information, going into different houses and at the inn. The people were very friendly, telling him as much as they know and not letting Ed leave their home without a full meal and two mugs of mead. This struck Ed as strange, considering what was going on. From what he gathered, chimeras have been spotted on occasion outside of town. The townsfolk are well provided for by the owner of the castle, but at a price. They are not allowed to leave town or ask prying questions about their benefactor. The castle's owner is said to be an alchemist who once worked at a laboratory in Central, but was kicked out for illegal human experimentation. No one knows how he escaped apprehension or execution. Those who were foolish enough to ask further were taken away in the night, never to be seen again. The owner's enforcers are empty suits of armor that patrol the streets on occasion.

Ed stood on the street corner on the fourth evening, thinking about Al and hoping that he's all right. He began to worry about him, not having heard from him since they arrived in this area. _Maybe he hasn't had a chance to contact me yet, _he thought. He didn't want to think of the alternative, that Al may have been caught, or worse. He heard some clanking noises, and turned to see a group of four suits of armor marching down the street. One of them broke away and walked up to him. Ed recognized his brother immediately, and suppresed every urge to hug him tightly. "What do you want?" Ed asked cooly, not wanting to break Al's cover. Wordlessly, Al gave him a letter with one hand and slipped something into Ed's pocket with the other. Al then traced a heart on his chest with his finger, a secret code between them that meant _I love you._ Ed traced a heart on his chest in turn. Al then turned and joined the other suits of armor. Relieved that Al was okay, Ed went to Piotor's house.

"And what did you find today, Edward?" Piotor asked.

"I' ve got a letter from one of the suits of armor." he replied.

Piotor's became very serious. "Take care, Edward. Once in a while a state alchemist like yourself would come here. He would be invited to the castle, never to be heard from again." he cautioned.

"Thanks, I will," Ed replied. He went to his room and opened the letter. Sure enough, it was an invitation to the castle to "formally meet a fellow alchemist", as the letter stated. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the note that Al placed in his pocket. He opened it up and read:

_Brother,_

_Please get out of here! I saw how they enslave those souls! He locks a person in an ice dungeon, freezes them to death, binds their soul to a piece of crystal and puts it into a suit of armor. I heard him brag about doing it to state alchemists after torturing them! Brother, please, I don't want that to happen to you! Get out of here and get help! Please, Brother!_

_Al_

Ed frowned, wishing Al were here so he can smack him._ As if I'd leave you behind, idiot! _He looked at the date on the invitation. It was for tomorrow. _Okay, pal, I'll be there. And Kami help you if you harm Al in any way!_

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Al stood with the suits of armor that went with him that evening while a blonde, medium built man looked them over then ushered them into a room that contained a white crystal that was at least 6 feet high. The man brought one of the suits to the crystal. The armor put its back on the crystal, and a picture appeared above it, showing what the suit saw during its trek outside the castle. The man did this to each suit of armor. Al became nervous, and when the man took him to the crystal, he tried very hard to think only of what he saw that day.

The man placed Al against the crystal and looked up. The large crystal, tuned to show a soul's memories, even the earliest ones. gave him a very different display. Intrigued, he looked on:

A blurried vision of a pretty brown haired woman. _Hello, Alphonse! How beautiful you are!_

An equally blurred vision of a blond, bespectacled man. _Of course he's beautiful,Trish! He looks like his mother!_

Another blurred vision, that of a small blond, golden eyed boy smiling. _Bubba! I kiss Bubba! _The boy gave a small kiss.

The same pretty woman, this time soaking wet. _Next time, boys, I'm wearing my bathing suit to give you a bath. _The man smiled in amusement.

A slightly bigger version of the blonde boy. _C'mon Al, You can walk. Here, take my hand. I help you._

The same boy, looking worried. _Don't cry, Al. I kiss your knee, just like Mommy (kisses a bruised knee). See? All better._

A little blonde girl. _Look Al! Daddy got me a new puppy! His name's Den!_

The brown haired woman. _No, you can't sleep with Edward tonight, honey. He's sick._

The blonde boy, clad in pyjamas. _Sure, Al, you can sleep with me if you're scared. C'mon. You cold? I'll warm you up._

The blonde boy, book in hand. _Here, Al. See? We can do it. We'll have Mom back in no time!_

The blonde boy again, on his knees clutching what's left of his right shoulder. _I'm so sorry, Al. _

The blonde boy, in bed with a washcloth on his forehead, pieces of automail attached to him. _Al... Al!_

The blonde boy, a little older, holding up a watch._ Look, Al! Cool, huh? Now we can work on getting your body back!_

_Well, well, what have we got here!_ thought the man to himself.

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"Think this over, Edward! He'll destroy you like he did the others!" pleaded Piotor as Ed got ready to go.

"Don't worry, I'm not going into this with my eyes closed," Ed assured, " I left my notes beside my bed, just in case. If I don't come back in three hours, call Colonel Mustang and give him my notes."

"Very well, I will. Take care, Edward, and good luck!"

" 'Bye Piotor. And thanks for everything." Ed walked out. Piotor looked at the clock, then picked up the phone.

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Ed arrived at the castle, and a suit of armor walked with him as an escort. He looked around on his way to the mysterious castle owner, trying to find Al. He began to worry when he didn't see him. At last, the armor opened the door for Ed and motioned for him to enter.

"Welcome, Edward Elric! It is a pleasure to finally meet you! I am Rudolph Klaus." said a blonde, medium built man. He smiled and shook Ed's hand.

"Thank you, Sir. How did you know my name?" Ed asked.

"Well, who doesn't know the famous Fullmetal Alchemist? Even up here, I get news about you!" he said, smiling, " Come, let me show you around." He showed Ed around the castle, stopping at a room filled with cages holding chimeras like the one that attacked Ed outside the town. "Vicious brutes, aren't they?" Rudolph said with pride, "They're perfect for guarding, though. And they make short work of their enemies." He then took him to a room that held a large, white crystal. "This is my masterpiece. I found it in the nearby caves. See, it somehow reflects a soul's memories, and pieces of it can even trap a soul, with the proper array," he said, "This main crystal powers that array."

"C'mon, that's impossible! That sounds more like sorcery than alchemy!" Ed replied.

"This from someone who bound his brother's soul to a suit of armor at the tender age of 11!" he replied menacingly.

Ed went pale. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"That's right, I know all about you. Oh, your brother had me fooled, that is, until he came in contact with my crystal." he said with a smirk.

"Where's my brother? What did you do to him?" Ed demanded, his voice deepened in anger.

"Relax, your brother's fine. You'll join him soon enough. Now, Edward, let's talk about a proposal I have for you," Rudolph began,"You are a child prodigy, a genius. You are capable of doing things most of us only dream of doing, from what I've seen of Al's memories. But you can do so much more. Edward, I can help you accomplish your goals and enhance your power and knowledge. I am in the midst of building an empire, and expanding it. With your help, we can control this land, crush the fools who stand in our way! I'll give you authority second only to my own! Al can be your bodyguard, trusted advisor, or whatever you want him to be! So be my partner, Edward. Say yes, and the world will be ours!"

"As tempting as it sounds, I'd have to decline your offer," replied Ed, "If you've seen Al's memories, then you should already know that I'm not in this for power or fame. I just want to restore my brother. I've seen your armored slaves, and I find your idea of enslaving souls disgusting! So is crushing people under your thumb! I want no dealings with no tyrant!"

Rudolph sighed,"And I thought you were smart."

"I am! Smart enough to-" Ed was cut off by a sudden pain in the back of head. He crumpled to the floor, out cold.

"Smart enough to get knocked out," Rudoplh observed. He looked at the suit of armor who knocked Ed out. "Take him to the cell. The one with his brother."

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Ed woke up with a headache and the feeling of being in a steam bath. "Brother, if you weren't already hurt, I'd hit you!" said a familiar metallic voice.

"Al?" Ed sat up and looked into his brother's helmet, "Al, you're okay! I was worried sick about you!" he said, smiling.

"Brother, why didn't you leave like I told you in my note?" Al asked angrily.

"Al, I was not gonna leave you here, and you know it! Just like you wouldn't leave me!"Ed replied. Al calmed down, knowing Ed was right. "Now, what's with this steam?"

"Well, I had to keep us warm somehow, Brother," Al replied,"I was put here so my armor can stiffen from the cold and he can break my seal and enslave me. So I made a little steam, by transmuting the ice, to keep my armor warm. I made more steam when they put you here. I guess he didn't think I can do alchemy, too!" he chuckled.

"Shows how much HE knows!" Ed looked around, " Al, we gotta get out of here and warn Mustang!" He clapped his hands, transmuted his automail finger into a lockpick(a/n: if Ed can transmute his hand into a blade, I'm sure he can do this!), and unlocked the cell.

"Brother, get inside me!"Al said,opening his chestplate, "Your body heat will keep me from stiffening, and..."

"And your enclosed space will help me stay warm! Good idea, Al!" Ed climbed into Al's chest cavity. Al closed the chestplate and ran out of the dungeon.

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When Al got to a warmer section of the castle, he opened his chestplate. "Brother, are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, a little cold, though," replied Ed as he crawled out. "C'mon, let's go take out that crystal."

"Now is that a way for guests to act?" asked a menacing voice.They turned toward the voice and saw Rudolph glowering at them. "You come into my castle, heat up my ice dungeon, and now you want to break my crystal. Well, I'm sorry, but I simply won't allow that. Kill them both(a/n: by 'killing' Al, I mean destroy his bloodseal)!" he commanded. A pack of howling, bloodthirsty chimeras pounced at the brothers.

"Let's do this, Al!" Ed said with a smirk. He clapped his hands together and transmuted his automail arm into a razor-sharp blade, while Al got into a fighting stance. One of the chimeras lunged at Ed, only to be skewered by Ed's blade. Another chimera pounced at Al, who simply grabbed its head and twisted it around completely.

"Al, there are about four chimeras left. Can you handle them?" asked Ed after beheading another chimera.

"I think so, Brother. Why? Are you hurt?" asked Al worriedly as he broke a chimera's back in half.

"No, I'm going after the crystal. I saw its weak point earlier. If I hit it just right, it'll me!" Ed hissed as a chimera's claws swiped his side as he ran toward the room. Enraged at the attack, Al grabbed the chimera and tore its jaws apart. _Be careful, Brother, _thought Al.

Ed ran into the crystal room and was immediately surrounded by suits of armor. "Now was that wise, Edward? Leaving your dear brother with those savage chimeras?" Asked Rudolph, standing at the door,"That's all right. My slaves need a workout, too. Do try to give them a decent one before they kill you. And Edward, make sure you don't kill your brother by mistake, that's if my chimeras haven't done that already. Slaves, wash the floor with his blood!" The suits of armor closed in on Ed.

"Bring it on, junkheaps!" growled Ed. As he took a fighting stance, hand blade ready, he thought of Al. _How DARE he try to compare Al to these things! Al would never harm a fly, while these things are just mindless killing machines! _he thought. He dodged their attacks, thankful for all his sparring sessions with Al, and even thankful for his size. He fought his way through to the crystal, then leaped up to the weak point at the top. Raising his blade, he jammed it into the weak point as hard as he could. The crystal broke apart, shattering into tiny pieces as the bigger pieces hit the floor. Ed jumped to the ground, landing on his feet in a crouching position. The suits of armor, no longer bound by the crystal, fell apart like broken dolls.

"Curse you, fool! You ruined everything!" Rudolph yelled, seeing the wreakage.

"That's what happens when you let someone do your dirty work!"Ed sneered.

"I'll kill you myself!" he yelled. He lunged at Ed, who blocked his attack with the flat of his blade. Seeing Ed's injury, he clawed at the chimera's scratch mark, making it bleed further. Ed screeched in pain, distracted. Taking this advantage, Rudolph kicked Ed's legs out from under him, knocking him on his back. He lunged for Ed's throat, but was suddenly lifted into the air by the back of his neck. The hand that held him turned him around so he was facing a helmet with glowing ruby red eyes. "Leave him alone!" Al growled menacingly as he drew back his fist,"This is for all the souls you enslaved!"

"Stop right there, Alphonse! We'll take it from here!" a voice ordered.

Al looked toward the voice, "Oh, hi Colonel! You want me to drop him?" he asked innocently.

"Please do," Mustang replied.

"Okay." Al let go of Rudolph, allowing him to fall to the ground. A group of soldiers quickly apprehended Rudolph, who thanked them for saving him from "that crazed armor".

"Don't thank us. Believe me, you'll wish we DID let Alphonse hit you," replied Roy.

Al knelt beside Ed, who was sitting up and holding the bleeding scratch. He gently lifted him in his arms. "Easy, Brother, it's okay.The colonel's here."

"Al, you don't need to carry me, I'm not that hurt," Ed protested, "And you should've let me give that creep a taste of my automail foot!"

"Brother, you **are** hurt that bad! Don't say that you're not, I know you too well!" Al replied sternly," And _I_ wanted a turn at him!"

Ed smiled weakly,"Yeah, Mom did teach us to share." He looked at Roy, "You're early."

"My cousin was worried about you, Edward Elric! So he called as soon as you left!" a voice boomed.

"Hi, Armstrong!" Al greeted cheerfully.

"Alphonse, you must rest after your battle! I shall carry you with the armor carrying technique that has been passed down the Armstrong line for 150 generations!"

"But Armstrong, I'm carrying Brother! He's hurt!" Al protested.

"Then I shall carry you both!" he replied cheerfully. He lifted Al in his arms as Al held Ed in _his _arms, and carried them both away.

EPILOGUE

"C'mon Al, you'll love these guys!" Ed said cheerfully. Three weeks have passed, and Ed fully recovered from his injuries. The weather finally warmed up, and Ed and Al rode the train to Pragda while Ed was still on leave from the military.

"Brother, I can't believe you want to go back to where it's cold. Haven't you had enough cold weather?" Al asked as the got off at the Pragda station.

"Sure, but we're here to settle a score. Ah, here we are," Ed led his brother into the inn where Ed first met Piotor.

"What score Brother?" asked Al, puzzled.

"Well, look who's back! Young Edward, the white pine! And you brought your brother!" exclaimed Olaf, "Pray, what brings you here?"

Ed strolled over to a lean muscled, sandy haired man. "I, Edward, son of Hohenheim, elder brother of Alphonse, challenge you, Stefan, son of Michael, younger brother of Gregory!"

"So, you wish to once again lose?" replied Stefan with a grin," At least you brought your brother to carry you out. I accept!"

"It is _your _brother who shall carry _you_ out!" Ed said, sitting opposite of Stefan. The serving wench brought the mugs of mead, and each took turns drinking a mugfull, eyeing each other carefully. Al started to worry at first, then was relieved when he found this to be just a friendly contest. Olaf started taking bets from the patrons. "And you, Alphonse! Care to wager?" he asked. Al gave him a twenty on his brother, confident.

Ed drank his sixth mug, then his eyes rolled back and his head hit the table.

"JUST RESTING MY EYES!" Ed yelled before the patrons can cheer."Your turn," he sneered at Stefan.

Stefan drank his sixth mug,smiling,"I'm okay! I'm okayy.." he slipped off the table into his brother's waiting arms. "One,two, three, you're out!" annouced Gregory to his sleeping brother. "I will avenge him, Edward! Count on it!"

"I'll be waiting!" replied Ed. Al and the other patrons cheered, especially the ones that won money.

"Brother, that was fun!" exclaimed Al, counting his winnings.

"Told ya!" replied Ed. They stayed overnight at Piotor's house, then went home the next day.

THE END


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